Cyberknife for treating cancer

suoiruc · Regular Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 15

Reportedly, Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer and is seeking various treatment options. One article mentions the Cyberknife which is cotroversial and experimental. I asked my mother's oncologist whether she had heard of the Cyberknife and she said she had not. Maybe I peaked her interest enough to check into it for us. Does anyone know anything more? Anyone hear anything about vaccines? There must be a clinical trial somewhere.

brainman

suoiruc, I do not mean to offend your mother's oncologist but any oncologist worth his or her salt has heard of Cyberknife. The technique has been around since at least the early '90s if not long before that. It is used with good results on many types of cancers. However, it is only experimental in the case of Pancreatic cancer. In fact, I did not know that it was even an option until I read that it was an option the Patric Swayze was considering.

As for clinical trials... have you checked on the National Cancer Instituter's website, http://www.cancer.gov ? Also, are you at or near a major medical center? Research centers have lists of research projects that they send out to major medical centers, regional medical centers, and even to some oncologist who are partners with them. If I were you, I would call one of those centers and ask to speak with the Medical Staff Department as ask them who is in charge of coordination of their research.

As always, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your mother.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

brainman

suoiruc, I just noticed that your email address says you are in the UK. I have no clue as to how you could find out what or where any research is being done there. I imagine that it is pretty much like I described to you... contact a major research medical center and go from there.

Hopefully, someone who knows more about the British medical system will reply with better information.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

suoiruc · Regular Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 15

Thank you brainman for your quick reply and all the good information. You're very generous in giving your time and advice in helping many people on this site.
I also agree with your appraisal of my mother's oncologist. She hasn't been what we expected. I realized early on I needed to be an advocate for my mother especially since we were unsuccessful in getting her into a cancer center where they could coordinate her care.
Also, I want you to know I reside in the U.S. not the U.K. Thanks again,
suoiruc

brainman

Sorry about that... I must have been looking at another person's profile that had a .uk email address. Ignore the second post then Laughing

.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

prettyinpink · Regular Joined: 07 Feb 2008 Posts: 10

I hope your mother is undergoing good PC treatment even though her Onocolgist is not updated on the many proceedures that is available. I believe that Cyberknife is effective on small tumors only. Cyberknife or GammaKnife is mostly used on the metastic tumors from PC. I did read that Patrick's cancer has spread so he may have received this proceedure on his metastasized tumor. Although celebrities have alot of money and can afford the best treatments, the same treatments is available to us as well. I remember a friend of mine whose mother was feeling bad because the Oprera Singer Luciano Pavarotti was able to have the Whipple surgery and she was considered inoperatble. Well my friends mother lived 6 months after Luciano Pavarotti. One thing I learned with being DX with PC a year ago is that every pc patient is different. Each patient react to chemo different and the tumor grows or shrink differently.
Ricky Sandoval of the Detroit Lions is receiving Cryotherapy for his PC. Vacine trials which is hopeful in PC is available in limited trials. Contact PanCan.org for more information.
Take care,
Janice

suoiruc · Regular Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 15

Thank you Janice for all that good information.
We are seeking new approaches to treatment since my mother has not responded well to chemotherapy. ( Gemcitabine/Oxaliplatin ) then(gemcitabine/capecitibine ). She was sick all the time and the ca19-9 tumor marker was climbing rapidly so she discontinued chemo. Her #'s have dropped and she has been doing remarkably better till she got what the doctor thought was pneumonia and the #'s are back up, we think due to the infection she's fighting. I have read other things influence these numbers besides the cancer activity. I am very much interested in the vaccines so thank you again for the information.
suoiruc

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